This invention relates generally to airflow systems and, more particularly, to an improved airflow system and apparatus for an air treatment appliance.
Air purifying devices are known in the art. The devices typically include air purifiers which have an air inlet for air to be drawn into the device, apparatus for drawing in the air, a filtering mechanism to filter out undesirable material from the air drawn in, such as contaminants, dust particles and other debris, and an air outlet for expelling the filtered air. The devices typically also contain other associated components, such as electrical switches and electrical or electronic circuitry for controlling and monitoring the operation of the device. During operation, the apparatus for drawing in the air typically operates to create airflow through the device and through the filtering mechanism to filter out undesirable material from the surrounding air. In this regard, the apparatus typically includes a rotatable fan and an associated motor to create the desired airflow. The fan and associated motor are typically rigidly mounted to the frame or body of the device in a conventional manner, such as by screws or by bolts.
The fan and the associated motor usually include moving parts that generate noise and vibration. A fan and associated motor operating at a typical speed usually generate noise and vibration at a frequency that can be heard and/or sensed by a person in the vicinity of the appliance. Such noise and vibration are communicated to the body or frame of the device because the fan and the motor are rigidly mounted thereto, and the noise and vibration are then emitted from the body or frame of the device. Such noise and vibration, however, are undesirable in the device, particularly when the device is used in a relatively quiet environment such as a home or an office.
The fan and associated motor in known air treatment appliances are usually not ideally energy-efficient. This is typically because of the design and construction of the fan and the airflow system, and the pressure drop created at the filter mechanism in the path of the airflow. Other appliances include an ordinary-type fan that draws air straight through, and the air is deflected from a shield or other deflector means in order to be expelled from the device in a particular direction. Besides being inefficient, such design and construction usually also contributes to undesirable noise and vibration generated by the airflow through the appliance. Further yet, such design and construction results in an increased size of the overall device, which is usually an undesirable characteristic in such devices. It is typically preferable to minimize the size of such devices for the convenience of users, whereby it is important to optimize the size and dimensions of the overall device.
Other appliances, particularly air treatment appliances such as air conditioners, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and the like, have similar constructions as those of air purifiers, and therefore suffer from similar or substantially the same drawbacks.
There is, therefore, a need for an improved air purifying device or other appliance wherein the airflow system is designed and constructed to minimize the amount of noise and vibration generated by the device while the energy efficiency of the device is improved and the size of the device is optimized. Accordingly, this invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.
In an embodiment, the invention is suitable in an air treatment appliance for treating surrounding air, including a body and a spider-mount mounted to the body. A motor is mounted to the spider-mount in cantilever fashion. A fan attached to the motor may be a radial fan, and is operable to draw in surrounding air and cause it to flow through the appliance. A grommet between the motor and the spider-mount dampens vibrations from the motor, and assists in easier construction of the device and improved product integrity during shipping. A filtering mechanism in the appliance in the path of the airflow filters out undesirable material from the air. A radial airflow guide guides the airflow downstream from the fan. The motor may be accommodated at least partially in the spider-mount and the fan. In combination, the apparatus provides improved noise and vibration characteristics and better efficiency during operation of the device.